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Feb. 12th, 2025
art thoughts
Feb. 12th, 2025 10:47 pmtwo-three months ago i was struck by an off-hand comment by an artist who i really respect and whose style feels "alive" in a way most don't to me, and the (paraphrased) comment was that the current in-vouge thin-line style usually lacked a soul.
to a large degree, i agree. mentally (in my snarkier days) i call it the "genshin impact CSP" look (Clip Studio Paint is the hot inking program as of now and i find it has a distinctive look by itself). it's also probably the look you see a lot of mangaka/professional animators throw out sketches in.
but the comment made me think about what i do like about the thin line style. if i had to boil my answer down to one word, it's clarity.
(very specific to my learning: I do also think dabbling in that thin line style over the last two years has vastly improved my 3D spatial ability in ways that it lacked before my cataracts surgeries; only dealing with those thin lines forces you to snap together three-dimensional shapes and anatomy in a way you can't hide like you can with a sloppy ink wash sketch.)
but the "clarity" word made me think about what specific drawing themes i come to the desk for. i really love dissecting that clarity of body language and facial expressions and exploring those non-verbal relationships (or at least how body language can be very separate from dialouge). the thin-line artists who i admire also have a strong focus there as well.
but what's even more interesting: that's almost entirely separate for what i like seeing in art. i like art with bold dynamic shapes and bold colors - not hyper-focused on the expressions. so i'm currently flipping through my inspiration stash having a lightbulb moment at the disconnect i've always felt between what i like to draw, versus what i like to see in a drawing (and feel inspired by).
to a large degree, i agree. mentally (in my snarkier days) i call it the "genshin impact CSP" look (Clip Studio Paint is the hot inking program as of now and i find it has a distinctive look by itself). it's also probably the look you see a lot of mangaka/professional animators throw out sketches in.
but the comment made me think about what i do like about the thin line style. if i had to boil my answer down to one word, it's clarity.
(very specific to my learning: I do also think dabbling in that thin line style over the last two years has vastly improved my 3D spatial ability in ways that it lacked before my cataracts surgeries; only dealing with those thin lines forces you to snap together three-dimensional shapes and anatomy in a way you can't hide like you can with a sloppy ink wash sketch.)
but the "clarity" word made me think about what specific drawing themes i come to the desk for. i really love dissecting that clarity of body language and facial expressions and exploring those non-verbal relationships (or at least how body language can be very separate from dialouge). the thin-line artists who i admire also have a strong focus there as well.
but what's even more interesting: that's almost entirely separate for what i like seeing in art. i like art with bold dynamic shapes and bold colors - not hyper-focused on the expressions. so i'm currently flipping through my inspiration stash having a lightbulb moment at the disconnect i've always felt between what i like to draw, versus what i like to see in a drawing (and feel inspired by).